Just Friends
by catswithbenefits
Summary: Their jerk mutual friends set them up on a blind date, so instead of getting to know each other they spend the entire date scheming and decide and awesome way to get back at them would be to pretend to date and then have a horrendous breakup; but now that they're so far into the charade they're not sure what's real and what's fake anymore. Enjolras/Eponine Modern AU
1. Chapter 1

Maybe if he hadn't complained so much to Courfeyrac about being stressed at work he wouldn't be sitting in the diner right now. Maybe if she hadn't refused to stop watching The Breakfast Club on a loop after her latest breakup she wouldn't be writing Combeferre off as a traitor right now. But as chances would have it Enjolras and Eponine are ditched at a filthy 50's style diner in downtown Chicago; their respective 'friends' having made excuses to leave as soon as they had arrived.

"It was a trick," Eponine says, tearing her paper napkin into little pieces under the table. She can't believe she was fooled so easily.

"This is supposed to be a date," Enjolras agrees matter-of-factly.

"I can't believe he did this!"

"Nor I. I'm not sure what point this is supposed to serve"

"I'm Eponine by the way"

"Enjolras" They both shift a little, wondering if they should shake hands. The moment sticks in the air; the awkwardness doesn't pass until Eponine speaks again.

"How do you know Courf?"

"Freshman year roommates. How do you know Combeferre?"

"He lives in the apartment next to mine. I've locked myself out too many times. Do you think they're watching us right now?" Eponine looks around, pressing her head to the window to see if they're lingering down the street.

"I don't see them," Enjolras says, looking around as well.

"I'm sorry this is so awkward. I don't really want to date anyone right now"

Enjolras looks relieved, "Me either" He fidgets with the salt shaker, unsure what else there is to say now that they're on the same page. "What do you want to do? I mean now that they're gone and we don't know each other, this is kind of weird" He asks.

"Do you want to get back at them?"

Enjolras thinks of Courfeyrac's smug face when he left the diner, complaining about a test he forgot to study for. "God, yes"

"What should we do?"

"Something big" Enjolras hands his menu back to a passing waitress without looking at it. "Coffee, please. Black."

"The same," Eponine says. When the waitress returns with their coffees they both have yet to come up with something. "We could prank them Russian-style?" Eponine suggests, "Move some of the things in their houses around a little bit so that they become paranoid that someone has been there. It'll drive them insane eventually"

"Too drastic. You're on the right track, but we need a punishment to fit the crime"

"We could send them love letters and make them think that they have a secret admirer?"

"Too immature. Besides, they'd figure it out right away" Enjolras sips his coffee and drums his fingers on the table.

"What if we break up?" Eponine asks slowly.

"We're not dating-" Enjolras begins to say. His eyes grow wide with the realization of what she means. He shakes a finger at her, "Oh yes! Yes, that's _very_ good! We pretend that their plan to get us to date each other worked and then we have the biggest break up in the history of break ups"

"They'll feel terrible. It's perfect"

"We'll have to do it slowly. Courfeyrac will never believe it if I fall head over heels for you right away."

Eponine gives him a face. "Why? Is there something wrong with me?"

"It's not that it's just," Enjolras pauses trying to choose his next words carefully, "I've never been in a proper relationship before."

"You're a virgin," Eponine concludes with a smirk. Enjolras can feel his face heating up.

"I've never been in a situation to date someone."

"That's hard to believe, blondie."

"It's not that I haven't been asked! I just don't find the appeal."

"Well Combeferre will be pleased as punch if I start a relationship slowly, so I guess that's fine. I don't want this to drag out too long though."

"Agreed. Just long enough to make them believe the break up."

Eponine downs her coffee and pulls out her phone to check the time. "I've actually got to go to work soon. I want to talk about this more though."

"And I have to get to class. Can I get your number so that we can meet up later?"

"Of course. I get off at eight tonight and I don't work tomorrow."

"Where do you work?" Enjolras asks while Eponine types her number into his phone.

"It's a little consignment shop on the lower west side."

"I'll text you so that you have my number and then you can send me the address. I'll pick you up around eight?"

"Can't wait," Eponine says, picking up her bag. When she hands him his phone back she leans in and kisses his cheek. "See you later, Enjy," she says with a wink.  
She's not a block away when Enjolras texts her.

 _Hey, it's Enjolras._

 _hey cutie, miss me already? come c me 2nite! i get done w work at 8,_ she types back quickly, wondering briefly if she's coming on too strong. She's not sure what 'slow' entails. None of her former lovers ever cared about 'slow' and she doesn't know if she'll be able to play her part convincingly.

He sends her the praying hands emoji and she sends back the puppy dog emoji and the winking face blowing a kiss. She feels like a dumb middle school girl texting her crush but decides it's for the best. If this is what slow is, then she's game. She screenshots the texts and sends them to Combeferre followed by several exclamation points. Already they're off to great start.


	2. Chapter 2

It's a dark cafe and the people smoking at the bar amplify the foggy, musty feel. There's a sitar player on the stage right now; he looks like he possessed the way he plucks at his strings. Enjolras offers Eponine a sip of his tea which she take takes gratefully, watching Combeferre watch her out of her peripheral. Even Jehan is distracted by the exchange, which is odd because he's scheduled to perform next and usually the only thing he can focus on moments before going on stage is not throwing up.

"It's weird how so many of our friends know each other," Eponine comments, giving Jehan a pat on the back as the sitar player strums his last chord. He gives her a small smile before heading up to the stage.

"Small world, huh?" Enjolras moves into Jehan's seat so the he can be closer to Eponine.

Jehan takes the microphone in both hands on stage and breathes loudly into it. He begins reciting his poem slowly and quietly, but the longer he speaks the more intense his words become until he's practically spitting them into the mic.

Eponine runs her foot along Courfeyrac's leg on purpose until he coughs and she feigns embarrassment for caressing the wrong person. She's intent on making sure that no gesture goes unmissed so that the boys will have something to talk about when she and Enjolras aren't around. She reaches for Enjolras' tea at the same time he does. Their hands brush and this time when she blushes it isn't feigned. Jehan exits the stage, passing the table on his way to the bar.

"I need something hot to drink," he's trembling visibly.

"I'll come with you!" Eponine jumps out of her chair, eager to be away from the awkward tension emanating from her friends. She can feel everyone's eyes following her when she walks away.

"Soooo... you and Eponine, eh?" Courfeyrac is smiling like a goon. Enjolras shrugs.

"She just got out of a rough relationship, so be nice to her," Combeferre warns.

"When have I ever not been nice?" Enjolras raises his hands in defense.

"You can just be a little intense is all," Combeferre concedes. "You know, I wasn't sure about the match at first, but Courfeyrac insisted, and I have to admit; seeing you two together just now-it works."

"So it _was_ a blind date! Eponine had her suspicions. You two are ridiculous. I would have found my own girlfriend if I wanted one."

"She's great Enjolras! Just give her a chance!" Courfeyrac looks to Combeferre to back him up.

"She really is. Don't shut her down just because you don't think you're ready for a relationship. I think once you guys get to know each other you'll really hit it off, even just as friends."

"I like her, actually," Enjolras admits.

"You do?" Courfeyrac is taken aback and Enjolras isn't sure if he's delivered his line convincingly enough.

"Yeah, we talked a lot at the cafe and I walked her here after she was done with work and she offered to help me study for my macroeconomics midterm tomorrow."

"What'd you guys talk about?" Courfeyrac asks, scooting his chair closer to the table and resting his chin in his hands like an excited schoolgirl. Enjolras laughs.

"I don't know? Our families? Work? On the way here we were discussing the infinite universe theory and we talked about what different parallel universes might be like, she's really witty, you know? And she's going away to see her brother in a few weeks and I've never seen Fight Club so she invited me over to watch it with her and-"

"Holy shit," Combeferre interrupts. "You've got a crush on her."

"You've never seen Fight Club?" Courfeyrac asks, more surprised that the most anti-capitalistic person he knows has never seen fight club than that the most aromantic person he knows has a crush.

"Enjolras, on a scale from citizen to soul mate how deep are you in?"

"I don't know Combeferre, don't you think that scale is a little arbitrary? She's really neat."

"Neat," Combeferre repeats, unimpressed.

"What do you want me to say? 'Her laugh is like music, I could lay down next to her and count her freckles, I wish I had met her sooner?'" He puts a hand to his chest pretending to be one of the terrible poets they've heard tonight. "She's great, ok? I like her a lot."

"You like who a lot?" Eponine asks, sitting down with Jehan.

"The girl on stage. She's really got a voice," Enjolras lies. Courfeyrac bites his lip so that he doesn't laugh. Enjolras does his best to ignore him "What kind of coffee did you get?"

"I don't know, Jehan ordered for me. I've never had it before, here," she offers it to him.

"Tastes like orange cider with rum," he says, swallowing hard from the unexpected bite of alcohol.

"And whiskey and soy milk with low fat whipped cream on top," Jehan adds.

"You've got a little," Eponine wipes a spot of low fat whipped cream from Enjolras' lip with a laugh and a wink.

"I didn't realize you could put whiskey into hot drinks," Enjolras says, trying to keep his composure.

"That bartender can do anything," Jehan says with wistful glance towards the bar. "The place is a dump and the venues are ameatur, but the drinks are poetry in themselves. Starbucks can't hold a candle to the magic he brews back there. I could spend the rest of my life here."

"Speaking of the rest of my life," Eponine says, pulling out her phone, "I've got to catch the bus home in a half hour because my boss just decided she wants me to work eight to eight tomorrow. I need a different job," she sighs.

"I'll take the bus with you. I've got early hours at the clinic as well," Combeferre says. They sit through three more tone deaf singers before packing up. Eponine hugs each boy goodbye, saving Enjolras for last to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"See you later, kids," she waves, linking her arm with Combeferre's.

She's feeling a buzz from her drink by the time they reach the bus stop. "He's smitten," Combeferre says, pulling out his bus pass and sliding it through..

"Who wouldn't be?" Eponine is still digging through her pockets to find hers. Combeferre swipes his card again to pay for her pass. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I did with it. I'll slide for you next time."

"This is Enjolras though, you don't understand. In all the time I've known him, he's never so much as looked at a girl." They take their usual seats in the back of the bus.

"Well, whatever. I'm not just any girl," Eponine shrugs. Her phone vibrates with a text from Courfeyrac..

 _Enjolras told us your laugh is like music and he wants to count your freckles._ He sends a second text with about thirty heart eyed cat emojis. Eponine shows Combeferre.

"What's Courfeyrac talking about?"

"That's what I mean! I've never heard him say something like that before! It's like someone's replaced him!"

She laughs, screenshotting what Courfeyrac sent her and sending it to Enjolras.

"He's never had a girlfriend before, Eponine."

"So?"

"So I need you to understand what you're getting into. You're not allowed to lead him on if you don't want to go anywhere with him."

"I don't ' _lead people on_ ' _,_ " Eponine says, offended at the accusation.

 _Yeah, I don't know if they bought it when I said that. I also told them we were going to watch Fight Club because you really liked the movie and I'd never seen it, and that you said you'd help me with studying tomorrow. You don't actually have to help me study if you don't have time. I didn't know you had that twelve hour shift tomorrow_

"Who's texting you novels?" Combeferre asks, looking at Eponine's phone.

"No one," she says, turning so that he can't see it. _never seen fight club. idek if I'll be awake to help u study after work. I'll txt u when my shift it almost over_

"Is 'no one' Enjolras?"

 _It's a good movie. I think you'll like it. Also, please don't kiss me on the lips. It's not in character for me to do too much PDA_

"Maybe." _i hardly even kissed u. besides ppl that like each other kiss each other. thts how it works. ferre is questioning everything tht happened 2nite anyway. he says i shouldnt lead u on lol_

"Enjolras is very emotions oriented rather than physically. Courfeyrac said you guys would even each other out, but I'm just worried that if you go too fast he'll get scared and never want to date again."

"It'll be fine Combeferre. I've been around this block more than once, you know."

 _When you left with Jehan he also warned me not to be 'too intense with you'. He's a worrier. We can discuss the kissing thing later_

"This isn't the same block you've been going around."

"Combeferre," Eponine puts her hand on his arm, "It's okay. We aren't even dating. We've talked a couple of times and I think he's a good guy. I don't even know if this is going anywhere. I'm still trying to feel him out."

"Okay. I'm sorry. Mama bird has to let her baby bird fly free."

Eponine snickers, "Am I or is Enjolras your baby bird?"

"Both of you are," Combeferre presses the stop button, "Despite all my apprehension though Eponine, I really truly am glad that you guys seem to be becoming friends. I think you guys will be really good together."

"A match made in heaven, honestly," Eponine says with a grin.


	3. Chapter 3

"Combeferre is in the hallway looking for his keys when Enjolras comes up from the stairwell. "Oh hey!" Combeferre says, a little startled. "My phone died, I didn't know you were coming by!"

"I'm not," Enjolras says, pretending to be a little embarrassed, as if Eponine hadn't just texted him that Combeferre was outside, ready to witness the first 'real date'. "I'm going to 'Ponine's to watch Fight Club."

"Really? I thought she was at work?"

"Just got off."

"Don't you have an exam coming up?" Combeferre looks at Enjolras over his glasses, clearly surprised at the explicit interest being shown towards Eponine. Enjolras just shrugs.

"I'll be fine. It's just macroeconomics."

"Combeferre unlocks his door. "Ok, then. You two have fun. Be safe; make good choices."

"Enjolras laughs. "It's just a movie, mom. We'll be fine," he knocks on Eponine's door. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Right."

"Eponine opens the door after a moment. "Did he see you?"

"Yup."

"What did he say?" Eponine asks, letting Enjolras in.

"Not much, he was surprised to see me though." Enjolras shrugs his coat off and drapes it over the couch. He notices that her apartment is very sparse. The walls are bare and the only furniture in the living room is the couch and a beat up trunk that serves as a coffee table. Eponine is opening a bottle of wine in the kitchen which comprises of a card table and a few folding chairs. Three of the four kitchen lights are burnt out, the remaining one casts a harsh light on Eponine's face. She looks up at him.

"Do you want a glass?"

"What kind is it?"

"Cheap. Red."

"My favorite."

"Mine too."

"Enjolras sits on the couch and pulls out the movie. "I didn't know you didn't have a television. I would have brought my laptop."

"I can't believe you actually brought the movie!" Eponine laughs, handing Enjolras his glass. "We're going to pull this charade off so well; I'm so excited." Eponine sets her glass down on the coffee table. "Hold on, my sister gave me her old Acer, let me get it."

"Enjolras sips his wine. It's bitter and awful. "I'm going to study while you watch the movie, okay?"

"That's fine," Eponine says, carrying her laptop to the couch. "Did you need me to help you? I can do vocab or whatever."

"Really? Thanks! I'll do everything that I have to do on my own first, and we can do vocab after the movie, if that's ok."

"We don't have to watch the movie if you need to study."

"No, it's a good movie! You have to see it, I think you'll really like it."

"Eponine boots up her computer and slides the DVD in, downing half her glass of wine at the same time.

Every ten minutes she pauses the movie to ask a question or to make a critique on the filming style or the dialogue. They go through three more glasses of wine each. Enjolras puts away his economics book and is debating with her whether or not the symbolic tilted camera effect that's supposed to represent a confused angle on one's personal world is used too much in the film. Eponine has already guessed the plot twist 40 minutes in, so Enjolras tries to explain to her the deeper complexities of the book the movie is based on that the film skims over. Eponine is quiet for the next twenty minutes until the main character is alone in his love interest's apartment feeling her breast for cancer. She pauses the film again. "We should post our first couple photo on instagram,"

"Hm? I don't have an instagram," Enjolras says.

"No, but I do, and more importantly, Combeferre and Courfeyrac do."

"Will they see it?"

"I'll tag them to make sure they do. How should we pose?"

"I don't know, I've never been in a couples' photo before."

"Eponine pulls out her phone puts her head on Enjolras' shoulder. "Here, you take it, you have longer arms."

"Ok." He feels pretty drunk, but not as drunk as she probably is. "Are we supposed to do one of those cheesy kissing photos?"

"I don't know, this is our first 'date', are you the kind of guy who kisses on the first date?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

"I guess it doesn't really matter. They can't say you're fake kissing me, since it's a photo."

"Yeah." There's an awkward pause. He takes another gulp of wine. Eponine takes her phone back and looks at Enjolras. He notices the deep purple bags under her eyes and her disheveled hair. She looks like she could sleep for a hundred years and still be tired.

"Say cheese." She's on him. It's not what he expected. His stomach is tight and every place where her body touches his feels hot. He places his hand her face tentatively. The camera goes off a few times. Her messy curls brush his cheek and he's aware of every strand. Her left arm is embracing him so when her right hand touches his bicep he knows she's put her phone down, but he's not entirely sure if he cares. He can taste the wine on her along with her mint toothpaste. He wonders vaguely what he tastes like. The thought is fleeting though because he can't care when she starts biting his lip. Then it's over.

"That was weird," Eponine says. Enjolras makes a noise of agreement, though he's not completely sure where he stands on the subject. She sits back in her spot and flips through the photos before selecting one. "Here," she says handing him the phone. "You pick a filter. I always choose Nashville and Courfeyrac makes fun of me for it." She unpauses the movie as if nothing happened.

"What should I caption the photo as?"

"Something along the lines of 'Thanks for setting us up', and then tag the boys," she says, not taking her eyes off the laptop.

"They watch the rest of the movie without anymore pauses, but Enjolras doesn't pick up his economics book again.

His phone alerts him to a text message during the last scene. "It's from Courfeyrac." Enjolras doesn't read the text aloud until the credits are rolling. The first text is several exclamation points followed by three heart _is it facebook official? When is the wedding? WHEN CAN WE GO ON A DOUBLE DATE?_

Eponine chuckles at the last bit, her eyes are slipping shut, but she's grinning like a goon. "I can't believe we're actually going to pull this off."

"The instagram thing was a good idea."

"You're a much better kisser than I thought you would be."

"I'm a virgin, not a prude."

"Still, can't believe you're a virgin. We should change that." Eponine is very awake now, her eyes alive with inspiration.

"What?!"

"Not actually, but we can jump on my bed and make noises so that Combeferre thinks that we're having sex!"

"He'll never believe that I had sex on the first date with you."

"Is there something wrong with having sex on the first date?" Eponine looks a little offended.

"No, it's just not something I would do."

"I'm different though. You've never met someone like You want to count my freckles/em," Eponine laughs. "Come on, live a little. It's not like you'd actually date me anyways, so who's to say what you would and wouldn't do?" Enjolras can't tell if it's the wine or her logic that makes him say it.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. Come on, let's do it."

"Ohmygod, this is going to be so funny." She pulls him to her room and calms herself. "The walls are paper thin, so if you want to say something real, you need to be quiet," she whispers. She climbs on her bed and motions for him to stand with her. With her cheek pressed against the wall, she giggles fakely. "Come on, you need to laugh a little so he can hear!"

"Laugh? Why?".

"Sex isn't like it is in the pornos, there's lots of laughing if you're any good. Just do it!" He laughs, but it comes out even faker than her's. She laughs at his terrible attempt until she snorts which makes him laugh for real as well. Eponine starts to bounce a little, the springs of her bed groan horribly. Enjolras follows suit, the bed sounds like it wants to give out beneath them. A soft moan escapes Eponine's lips followed by a chuckle at the ridiculousness. She nods for Enjolras to do it as well. The noise that comes out of him sounds like a sick dog. Eponine laughs, the tail end of it petering into a very believeable moan. "Yes, yes, please," she winks at Enjolras which makes him laugh. Eponine starts to bounce faster "YES! ENJOLRAS!" She throws her head over her shoulder towards the shared wall. "FASTER!"

"Enjolras shouts Eponine's name in a sad attempt of sounding like a sex moan. She falls to the bed in a fit of giggles throwing in a few moans to keep the charade up while the entire thing falls to pieces and laughter. Enjolras sits down too. "Oh, god! Oh!" Eponine puts her face into her pillow to stifle her snorting.

"PLEASE!" She drags her hand down the shared wall a few times followed by a series of shaky moans. She's still bouncing on her knees, but stops suddenly and mewls in a way that Enjolras has never heard. She bounces slowly five more times before collapsing entirely. "You didn't last very long, but that's to be expected of a virgin," Eponine whispers. Enjolras scoffs.

"That's a myth."

"How would you know?"

"Enjolras smiles and shakes his head at her. "Do you think he heard?"

"There's no way he couldn't have." She presses her ear against the shared wall. "New Orleans jazz," she says with a smile. "He always listens to it when I have 'company' to drown out the noise." Enjolras presses his ear against the wall too, and sure enough, a cacophony of trumpets and trombones can be clearly heard. The faint sound of a page being turned joins the din. If a page flip can be heard through the walls, there's no way Combeferre missed them jumping on the bed. Enjolras smiles at the thought of Combeferre's scandalized face when he must have realized what was going on.

"Eponine rolls out of the bed and heads towards the living room. "You can't leave for a little while or else Combeferre will hear you going and get suspicious. Do you want me to help you study your vocab while we wait?"

"Shoot, I forgot about that. Will you?"

"Of course. If I could have gone to school I would have. It's really important.

"Thank you. What time do you have to go to work tomorrow?" She waves her hand at him.

"Not important. Where do you want to start?"

They sit cross-legged across from each other pouring over his notes until two in the morning, getting side tracked every now and again; telling stories about how it was growing up poor versus rich and the troubles that followed both. Enjolras likes when Eponine talks about her siblings because she gets a far off look in her eyes and smiles crookedly whenever she talks about their silly antics. Eponine presses Enjolras about his homeschooled life, loving the way he describes the various stunts he pulled to try and get put into public school.

It's almost three am and Eponine is on her couch practically passed out. Enjolras puts away his notes and grabs his coat. He's about to leave, but makes himself turn around. Quiet as he can, he takes the rumpled duvet from Eponine's bed and drapes it over her. She opens her eyes slowly. "You leaving?"

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you."

"Whatever. You good to drive?"

"Yeah the alcohol's worn off. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know how my test goes, okay?"

"You're gonna do fine. Text Courf back so we can set up that double date, okay?"

"Good night."

"Night."

"Enjolras closes the apartment door as quietly as possible in case Combeferre is still awake. He leans against it and closes his eyes trying to gather his thoughts. _It's fake. It's just a game._ His stomach has felt tight ever since she kissed him. It must be indigestion. The wine was really cheap, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

three calls and four rings later Enjolras picks up. "Hello?" His voice is thick with sleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call. I know it's late."

"Eponine? What happened? Is Combeferre okay?" He's fully awake now.

"I got kicked out and I don't know what to do."

"Kicked out of your apartment?"

"I'm at the corner of 76th Avenue and Racine. I don't have my bus pass. I don't know what to do. I know it's late, but-"

"Shit." Enjolras puts his phone on speaker while he pulls on his jeans. "Yeah, I'm coming, sit tight."

The southside of Chicago has been in the news every single day since forever for various rapes and murders. Three in the morning isn't the time to be taking a casual stroll down the worst bit of it.

"I'm sorry I woke you up. I don't know anyone else with a car, and I don't have money for a cab, and-"

"Don't worry about it; it's fine. Stay where you are; I'll be there soon." Enjolras is almost out the door when he remembers his keys. "How's your phone battery? Can you stay on the line?"

"No, I've got 15% left and the cold is killing it. I'm going to keep walking on Racine towards Ogden park. I don't want to stand anywhere for too long."

"I'll be there in 20, if I don't find you on Racine, I'll call 911."

"Thank you." Eponine hangs up without waiting for a reply, putting her phone back in her pants pocket to keep it warm. And then she runs. The cold stings her lungs, but each passing block makes the shake in her hands ease a bit. She's four blocks from Ogden park when a car slows behind her. She runs faster. She's not going to make it to the park. Her heart beats faster with fear and exhaustion. The car rolls down its window and she regrets calling Enjolras. The police will scrape her body off the cement, but first he's going to have to find her riddled with bullet holes. He'll never sleep well again.

"Where's your coat?" The person from the car hollars. Eponine stops running long enough to recognize the blonde puff of Enjolras' hair in the dim car. She stumbles into the gutter and gets into his backseat.

"I forgot it." Enjolras cranks the heat and motions for her to sit in the front. "I'm sorry I woke you up." She's breathing hard, trying to calm down from the fright Enjolras just gave her.

"What's going on?" He shrugs off his coat and tosses it to her, keeping his eyes on the road.

"It's really complicated."

"Who were you running from?" Enjolras persists. Eponine doesn't answer for a long time.

"My family is a little bit crazy."

"Did they hurt you?" Enjolras looks from the road to Eponine a few times searching for any obvious injuries.

"It's fine," she says, wrapping his coat around herself tighter.

"We can go to the police, Eponine. File a report."

"Don't. We can't. Just forget this happened, it's not a big deal."

"You were running around the ghetto at three in the morning scared out of your mind. That's a big deal."

"Seriously, Enjolras, there's a lot more to this than what happened tonight and it's my fault for coming here thinking that this wouldn't be the result. We can't go to the police because I'm involved, and my sister and her fiance are involved, and I can handle it on my own. Okay?"

"What is this about?" Eponine doesn't answer. "You need to tell me what's happening right now or I'm going to the police. Did your sister murder someone? Did _you_ murder someone?"

"What?! No!" Eponine digs her nails into her palms. "Why would you jump to murder right away? What the fuck!?"

"There's blood on your cheek." Enjolras says, looking at Eponine in his peripheral.

"My dad hit me, okay?" Eponine touches her cheek gingerly and looks at the blood that comes away on her fingertips. "And before you bring up the police again, I had it coming. He needed me and my sister for a heist he's trying to pull off, but I didn't want any part in it, so I ruined it for him tonight and he flipped out. I probably lost him like two hundred grand."

"And you don't want to notify the police because...?"

"If I tell you, you can't tell Combeferre, or Courfeyrac or anyone. I don't want them to know."

"Consider my lips sealed."

"Or the police." Enjolras doesn't answer right away. "Or the police," Eponine prompts again.

"Or the police," he agrees, though he isn't entirely sure if he means it.

"There are people who will kill you if you talk about this, and I don't mean that figuratively. They _will_ kill you."

"I'm not going to tell anyone. I just need to know that we're not being followed by murderers"

"When I lived with my parents my sister, brother, and I were involved in other heists and scams and we were good at them. We never got caught. I left when I turned eighteen and haven't looked back except for to check in on my kid sister every now and then. If we went to the police, they'd look in on me and everything that my family's done and we'd all go to jail for a really long time. I know now that what we were doing was wrong, but back then I didn't care. My dad tried to use me for one of his sprees again tonight when I ruined everything he told me he'd cut my face off and make me eat it. So I ran."

"Do they know where you live?"

"Probably. I'm not sure. My sister's fiance does. I don't think they'll come after me though."

"Would you mind just sleeping at my place? I don't know if that's weird. It'd make me feel better. I can sleep on the couch if you want a bed." Eponine is quiet for a long time, unsure how to respond. She chews her lip.

"I...thank you. That'd be nice. I'm sorry I'm so inconvenient."

"You're not. I mean, it's three am, but if we switched places, I'd be a lot more of a mess than you are. I'll just sleep better knowing no one is feeding you your face."

"You're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"I said I wouldn't."

"Not the police either?"

"You're really brave, Eponine. I don't want you to go to jail either. If you don't want me to go to the police, then I'm not going to go to the police. I don't care what you did while you were living with your parents. You're not who you were before and you shouldn't be retroactively punished for crimes you were coerced into as a minor."

"You're um, you're really cool, Enjolras," Eponine says, trying to find the right words to express her gratitude. It doesn't feel like enough. She wants to tell him that she wishes that she could see herself the way he does or that she's glad she met him or that no one's ever been as kind to her as he's been. But she doesn't. Because she can't. Instead she scoots closer to the heating vent and tries to ignore the growing ache in her stomach that Enjolras' created.

* * *

"So last night was dumb," Eponine says when Enjolras finally opens his eyes at 9am. She stayed in his loft over night, but didn't sleep at all. "Like, really dumb." Her hands were trembling from exhaustion, but her heart was still racing with the fear of what Enjolras now knew.

"I still want more of an explanation," he said, the sleep from his face, trying to come to terms with the fact that last night wasn't just a strange dream.

"I shouldn't have called you."

"But you did. What were you doing down there? Who's your father? I guess I'm just really confused about why you went back if you didn't want to be involved with a life of crime anymore."

Enjolras is shirtless, his tousled hair a golden lion's mane. He brought her back home with him because he doesn't intend to turn her in, Eponine tries to convince herself. They're friends. Or something. Maybe not friends. Close enough that when Eponine thought she might be murdered she called him to help. She eyes him up for a long moment before deciding she's already dug her hole too deep.

"Ok." She takes off her right sock and walks over to Enjolras. Trying to still her hands, she holds her foot so that he can examine the tattoo on her arch.

"You're a Feline," Enjolras says flatly. Eponine puts her foot down. The insignia is well known across America. "How did you get tangled up with them?" Felines were notorious cat burglars. If caught in the act, they didn't hesitate to kill in order to cover their tracks.

"My father is head of the chapter in Chicago." Enjolras hisses air in between his teeth. This sort of information would help close a lot of unsolved cases if brought to the police.

"And you?" The question is a loaded one. _And you helped him? To kill people? To steal fortunes by thieving and hacking your way across all of Chicago and half the major cities in the Midwest? And you want your father's whereabout to remain a secret?_

"And I got out. Years ago. Changed my name, covered my tracks. You don't just get to leave them. My father's been fuming ever since."

"What changed last night?"

Eponine smiles ruefully. "My ex proposed to my sister. I went to talk her out of it but it was a set up to

flush me out of hiding."

"What will you do now?"

"Quit my job. I'll probably have to move, but we'll see. I'll wait to see what their first move is. I ruined their plans for last night, so either they'll try to get revenge, or they'll leave me well enough alone so that I can't ruin anything else for them. Maybe both."

Enjolras stares at her. She's looking at her shaking hands, breathing deeply. "Do you want some breakfast, then? I'm afraid I'm all out of eggs, but I've got bran flakes and toast."

"So you're not going to go to the police?"

"About what? I picked up my drunk girlfriend late last night and brought her back home. Nothing illegal about that."

Eponine smiles weakly. "Seriously though, you don't want to go alert the FBI that you know where America's fifth most wanted is hiding out?"

"You can do whatever you think is right," Enjolras tells her, sliding out of bed and pulling on a shirt. Eponine trails him to the kitchen and watches him pour himself a bowl of bran.

"Why are you doing this? We've known each other for a month. Why would you do this for me?"

Enjolras hands her a bowl and leans back on the counter. "It's not your fault. I don't trust our legal system to treat you fairly. Besides," he says, winking at her, "We've all got secrets we don't want authorities looking into."

Eponine starts to stutter something but instead decides to raise her bowl. "To your drunk girlfriend who needs to be picked up at 3am." Enjolras clinks his against hers.

"Fuck to police."


End file.
